Battle of Dread Hill
Backstory For a long time the men from over the Albion Mountain ranges called the Highlanders had tried to invade Albion and claim it as their own, however they had always been small raiding parties which were quickly defeated and crushed or incorporated into local communites. However two years after the invasion of Albion by the Crawler, their numbers had begun to increase from a few dozen, to hundreds, and now to a few thousand! In response, the Hero of Brightwall has led a large army against the most recent invasion which has come down a long hidden pass within clear marching distance of Bowerstone. The leader of this attack is the so called King Richard Deathson. He claims to want to conqure Albion in the name of glory of his people and family. He however has seeken assistance from the most wanted man in Albion, Dragon Breath Drake a former officer in the Elite Guard. Drake was a noblemans son before becoming an adventurer and then a guard, however he has now turned on his people for his own profit and is guiding the army of Highlanders to Bowerstone in return for a large amount of gold. The battle ground was Dread Hill, a small mountain with a steep cliff on one side and a gradual slope on the other. It was here that the two kings clashed for the future of Albion, however it was clear from the start that the Highlanders had not expected resistance from Albion after their recent invasion and were ill prepared for the fate which beholds them. The battle concluded with an Epic duel between Draco Bloodstone and the Hero of Brightwall and the death of the Highlander King Deathson. The Duel The Hero rushed into the enermy camp sword drawn and pistol raised, the Red Coats followed with Colonel Saker, Cigar clenched in between his teeth, they all looked around the camp keeping their eyes peeled for the meerest sign of movement. Nothing only the icy wind broke the deathly silence but then it hit them a wave of putrid guts and blood which they then saw, the dozens dead bodies lying around the camp site all brutaly ripped open, slashed and butchered. "Core" one Guard said as he lowered his weapon. "Who could of done this" Saker asked bewildered, scratching his balding head. "I don't know" the King said as he walked towards a corpse and gently nudged it with his foot to see if he was dead, but on account of the cannon sized hole in his chest it was likely. "I don't like the look of this" one guard said to his fellows. "You think they killed each other" another said. The guards all looked at the corpses walking over to each of them in turn and observing the dead bodies carefully, Saker gave a breif wave to the Hero King who hurried over to where the giant man was standing. "Your Majesty I wanted to thank you properly for this post, I know I did some bad things sir but..." "It is fine Saker," The hero said warmly, "just don't do it again". "I could never hold my head up if I betrayed the man who spared me Life sir" the Colonel stated, "But that wasn't the reason I called you over look at this" Saker gestured to a group of dead Highlanders all lying within a few yards of each other. "Look at their wounds sir" Saker pointed out. The Hero glanced at them and back at Saker, he couldn't belive it, all the wounds were the same, all men were killed by the same weapon and it was unaturally big. "Who.." he tried to say before being cut off by a harsh laugh. Saker the King and all the soldiers spun round to the center of the camp, to which a massive man sat upon a small bolder, another smaller man at his feet, clearly in pain, the first man was so large and tall it was hard to believe how he actually managed to reach the center without being seen by anyone. "Hello, your majesty" his dark, harsh voice cut in with a smug expression on his face, "fancy seeing Logan's little brother here" he grinned, "all grown up now are we, Ha" he scoffed "Who..." the Hero began, but he then knew who it was, "Drake" he whispered darkly, Drake had been an officer for Logan until his brother had be dethroned, Drake had always looked down on the current King with a clear smugness, he never liked the Kings moral choices or, peaceful resolutions, Drake loved blood and the violence that it caused.Drake had been a member of the army until he had killed a large number of fellow soldiers due to a dispute and was recently made the most wanted man in Albion. "Well, your majesty how does it feel to have suprem power, nice I guess" Drake smiled in a calm and warm voice, but clearly sarcastic. "What are you doing here" the Hero snapped raising his pistol at the giant man. "Well I was helping old Deathson here" he sated sourly jerking his finger at the figure at his feet, "but the old sod couldn't pay my services stright away, and I wasn't in the mood to wait so" Drake chuckled Darkly, he then made a motion with his huge but long fingers across his thick neck makeing a mock death noise as he did. "Help me" the broken figure of Deathson called faintly reaching out to the King, "Save me" he managed to say before Drakes huge boot slammed into the old mans back. "Now, now, your majesty" the monserous man adressed King Deathson, "you ai't going anywhere" he paused thinking about that, "alive that is" he added then leck out a cruel laugh smashing the old mans right and left leg with ease, The crunching of bones did not drown out the old Kings screams as this happened, which quickly fadded into sobs. "Please Drake don't kill me, I'll give you anything you want" he pleaded in desperation. "I named my price, but you don't have it" Drake barked in respones sound slightly mad as he said this, now applying pressure upon the old Highlanders back waiting for that to snap also. "Stop it" the king ordered firing a shot into the air, glareing at Drake with a merciless look, which cruel Mercanary returned darkly, but none the less smiling removed his foot from Deathsons back. "You were always a idiot, he's your enermy and you tell me not to kill him, your mad" Drake scoffed. "I don't kill people without cause" the Hero anounced darkly, "I protect my people, from men like you, and even though he is my enermy I will not let you touch him" the King stated, returning Drakes smug gaze. "Oh" Drake ssmiled sounding supprised, "well mister King this bloke here is a Hero so he's quite capable of taking care of himself" and as he said this Drake brought his foot sharply down upon the Deathsons back. "One more time Drake and me and my men will open fire" the King ordered his gaze just as cold as the one he was reciving. "Oh well I better just end this then" Drake stated coldly, puling out huge pistol, around the size of a small cannon and embedding a single shot in Deathsons back. The Hero King raised his hand out in some futile gesture to save him but it was to late Deathson uttered his final words and then died. "I was a true Hero, Drake, why, why couldn't you see that" The King then looked at Drake who looked strangley happy, almost glad at the sight of the dead Hero, he then heared a fait chuckle as the brutal man shook his head with glee. "A Hero, well I knew that, but what makes you think I care" Drake scoffed again looking as though he was talking to the dead man, he then turned on the Hero of Brightwall, "You know what I hate most of all... your majesty" Drake asked waving his hands at him at the last part, "It is the fact people like you can go round and just claim to be incharge because of your blood" he continued without waiting for an answer, "You... so called Heros can strut your way down a street and have anything you want because you have some so called blood which makes you better then everyone else" Drake by now looked slightly hysterical, his eyes were bulgering and a vein on his head was pulsing, "You are automaticly respected and loved by people for your blood, I had to waork for my fame, my infamy, you were given everything you ever needed to be great, I had to work for mine. the man was now breathing heavily, staring at the ground, "do you know why I hate you Hero, it's because you were born, I earnt every crumb of my fame" he paused calming himself looking and continuing in a calmer but none the less menecing voice."you had everything but I earnt mine, you could do so much with what you had but you don't, I have done so much with so little, you are weak you so called King without your Blood" at this he just galred at the Hero of Brightwall without blinking. "You finished yet" a Guard asked. Supprisingly Drake strightened up smiled and looked pleasently plesesed with himself. "Yes actully, have a nice day" he added mockingly as he turned to go. "Hold" the king shouted in a authoritive voice, pistol drawn and pointed at Drakes back. "Yes" Drake asked smiling but mildly supprised. "Your comming with me for your crimes..." The King tired to get out but was drowned out by the huge mans laugh. "Ha, didn't you listen to a word I said, I will never follow a Hero..., let alone anyone, without some kind insentive" Drake scoffed almost laughing once again. "Don't care, now lay down your weapons" the King ordered, whaich as he said all the guards focused their muskets in upon him. "Really" the convict chortled, but none the less placed his overlarge pistol and somthing which looked like a sword on a pole on the floor, "and what makes you think I will come quietly" he anounced. The Hero nodded to Saker who stepped forward to retrive the weapons. "An insentive" the king stated. "Which is what, you ain't gonna offer me money I know that" Drake once agains laughed. "Your life" the king Replied darkly. "Oh" Drake went his smile vanishing, "well there is a slight hole in your logic your Majesty" he continued keeping a close eye on Saker. "What"? "I don't mind dying" Drake blurted out his eyes wide in a mad stare and then grabbed Saker by his coat and pulled him towards him, "Hey Saker been a while, tell you what I like you so I'll let you live" he spat out in a rush before throwing the already huge Saker with one arm into a nearby cliff. "Open fire" a Guard shouted. Musket ball after musket ball embbeded itself in the massive mans body, but he never flinched as blood oozed from his many wounds. WHen the fireing stopped, Drake fell to one knee in fron of his weapons, as some guards slowly walked towards him rifle raised Drake's eye flashed menicingly Red, with a wicked smile to comliment it. "Nice try, my turn" he shouted gleefully and immediatly grabbed his weapons rolling and fireing a single shot at a group of five guards. The ground exploded underneath the Guards knocking them back dead, Drake then gave a mighty sweep of his polearm weapon as he sliced all th guards within it's reach with a single blow. "Feel the burn of the Dragon Glaive" he roared as he slammed another soldier stright into the floor with one fist. "Get him" screammed another Guard as a group of them rushed at him leaping onto him embbeding their swaords stright through his body in at least four places. It seemed to have worked for a moment before Drake great arm swept two of them off with one wave of his hand, he speared another on his Glaive as he tried to flee, and finaly grabbed the last one by the neck and smiled. "Well done I'm almost impressed" he stated raising an eyebrow as he snapped the mans neck, then Drake turned on the remaining guards with a mad glare, "who's next" he asked sadisticly, but not waiting for an answer he brought the Glaive with one arm only to hear a fait chink of metal of meatl. The King had blocked Drakes one armed blow with his sword, holding it in place with both his apendges, but it was clear he was stuggling under the weight of just one of the giants blows. "Go" he shouted to his men who quickly corrisponded, "leave them" the King stated, "it's me you want, that's why you came, you knew these men could never pay you" the King revealed. Drake pulled his weapon from the lock carefully grinning, "Wow, I never knew you were so clever" Drake smiled mockingly clapping his hands, his glaive held clenched inbettween his elbow, "yeah I knew these idot mountian men would never win, I just wanted to fight you"! "Why then" the King breathed heavily catching his breath. "What I want most in the world is immortality, and not like the Archon's of old or that twat Reaver" "Reaver"? "I want historic immortality, the ability to be remmembered long after I'm gone, you being a Hero have already got that, but I don't. So I thought to myself, kill the man who saved Albion and I prove I'm the stronger and I will be remmebered" "That's nuts" the King stated plainly, "your an insane mad man". "Yeah well, worth a try" Drake smiled bringing his Glaive once again down upon the King, who rolled out of the way just in time, only to have to dash back to avoid being disembouled by the giant's weapon. The king then turned the blows from the mighty glaive away one by one, not only was Drake strong and huge, nut he was fast, clearly demonstrating how well he'd prefected his fighting style. Drake ducked from a rather random swing Drake had sent his way and rolled behind some barrels for cover. "You know, it's weird how you assume I'm the villian here" Drake laughed, "you have killed all your men here you know". "How" the King shouted back confused. "If, you hadn't have come up here with them, they wouldn't have died" "Your mad Drake". "It's funny how I watch the "Noble" Shepard lead his "Loyal" flock to the slaughter with no regrets, but only bad intentions for their Butcher, funny that isn't it" "What do you mean"? "It's simple, your glory is built upon the bones and dead, your blood is from dead men that makes you famous, the death of these soldiers make you famousas you survive when they die. Face it, you cause as much death as me, just without knowing it" Drake laughed, "now how about you come out here so I can knock that preety head off as I remove your crown". The Hero stood up and stared stright at Drake, his eyes flashing darkly, he had enough, Drake could call he weak but he would not allow him to belittle the lives of these men. "Let's finish it" The King said in a serious final tone, relaxing back into a striking positon, ready fro the attack. "Please your honor, I don't give a S**t" he swore and then suddenly his Glaive flashed as it swung down almost out of no where, the king blocked it sliding it to the left only to be met by a painful punch to the face from Drakes other hand, their blades then met and it broke apart every time Drake slashed it was turned to the side by the Kings sword, but he was unable to lay a blow on the huge man, every slash was met by the metal pole of his Glaive. As they fought they ventured higher and higher on the mountians slope, the wind grew bitter cold and the storm of icey snow grew worse but nither let any gap open in their defenses. Both were evenly matched, their skill was equeal and what Drake had in brute strength the king matched with a superb grace and skill which aloud those strikes which could not be turned aside to be dodged with ease. They soon reached the summit and looking back a path of destruction they had made as they has climed higher the mountian looked as though a battle of near thousands had taken place not two men dueling to the death. However it was nowhere clearer who was stronger the King or Drake, Drake had now began to lose his patience and his temper was quickly taking control of his mind, no longer smug and cocky he had become irational and twice as vilont as he was earlier. The King however had began to tire, he had never fought for so long without a break and Drakes irationality had made him unpredictible but he could see openings in the giants defences. "Why won't you die you Bl**dy Arse****" he yelled at the top his lungs as he threw another great swing at the king, missing and shattering a nearby cliff face causing it to colapse. The King ducked down behind a rock hiding from veiw in an attempt to catch his breath, but the thin air made it hard to do, but thanks to the storm that was raging across the mountian top it was hard to see a few feet in front of ones self, however Drake had began to brutaly smash any potential hiding place, the King was just planing what to do when a hand grabbed his sholder. "Sir" a voice said. "Colonel Saker" the King said bemused, "I thought you were..." A battered, bruised and wounded face smiled to him bu it was none the less Saker. "I'm fine sir, got a plan" he grinned taping what looked like a small cannon under his arm. A minute later the King steped out from his hiding spot and glared at Drake, it took a moment for the huge man to realise that he had reappeared but when he did, the King could swer the mans eyes were glowing. "I'll admit I ain't one for chilvery... but hiding like that, denying me what I want, you have crossed the line, so for all the pain you have caused me I've got a specil present" Drake stated looking furious, tired, confused and pure livid all in one as he said it. What Drake did was very unusual, he drew from his belt a large silver metalic drinking flask with his name printed on the side and proceded to drain the bottle, and then drew out a match and lit it sheilding the fire from the storm. "You get to be one of the few people who get to see why I'm called Dragon Breath" he anounced. The King sensing what he met let flew a wave of fireball spells at him, only for it to be consumed by the fountian of flames flying from Drakes mouth, but it was what the King needed, he charged through the flames using a weak force push to create a hole through the wall of flame. Drake seeing him at the last minute swung his glaive with both arms towards the incomming Blade of the King. The effect of the battle up the mountian, the explosive heat of the fire as well as the force of both mens weapons and strength being sent to the floor caused a unatural and tremendous explosion, which caused the mountian itself crack open, causing a huge gorge through Dread Hill to open up. Both Drake and the King were flung back by the massive shockwave of the new passages creation forcing them onto their backs. Both slowly got to their feet, the King seeing a chance nodded to Saker and charged at Drake who was not quick enough to block the blade as it was thrust through the middle of his chest. Drake stared bewildered at what had transpired looking at the finely carved sword in his chest and the King who hung on tightly. Drake roared with anger and knocked the Hero flying off his chest sending him hurtiling to the floor, Drake then lost it completly, his mind gone he acted on instinct, charging stright at the Hero King his arms raised to crush him, the King dodged it then grabbed the sword in Drakes chest and thrust it deeper before withdrawing the blood soaked blade from his opponents chest. "What the" was all the king could say as he looked back at Drake who was now just Laughing manicly, looking u at the sky, then he saw why. The hole which his blade had torn in Drakes chest was sealing chut as he saw bone, musscle and skin repair and regrow before his eyes. "I told you your majesty I earnt everything I ever did, now you see why" he chuckled his eyes in shadow, "I am the slayer of the last Troll of Albion, I consumed it's flesh and this is the power it has given me" he shouted laughing just as mad as before, "only on in one-hundred thousand can survive eating it and I am one of them, peasents, Heros and soldiers have all died eating it but I... I am triumphant" he screamed to the Heavens. The King then looked at him slowly circling Drake who copied him just as carefully. "So that's it then, some cheap trick you got, you ain't great, you cheated yourself to the top" the King said mockingly. "You don't get it one in One-hundred-thousand, I am worth one-hundred-thou..." Drake spluttered disbeliving what he was hearing what the King had heard. "I don't care your a freak, Drake, a freak, get it" scolded the King. "Yeah I'm the freak" Drake said his left eye twitching in a quiet tone, "I' m not the one who who shoots Fu***ng fireballs out of my hands at will or grows horns because I do somthing wrong, your the freak your majesty, I earnt my power, you were born with it, your the freak"! "Your not worth my time" the King anounced in a dissmisive voice, turning his back on Drake. "You dare turn your back on me" the giant roared charging at the Hero. The King had expected this but had not predicted the ferocity, Drake just hacked and hacked at the King forcing him to his knees, Drake had gone mad, the stress of battle had got to him, no longer thinking he was going to prove who was stronger. "How about now King, am I worth your time now" he roared. The Hero of Brightwall knew he would die, he had tried to end the fight by focing Drake to lose heart and in an attempt spare him, but it had backfired, he took a deep breath, and forced Drake away for a breif but vital second. "Now Saker" he yelled, and from out behind a Rock the large Colonel lept firing his cannon off, it hit dead on target, the cannon ball slammed into Drakes head sending keeling over backwards towards the gorges edge, Drake then slid over it disapearing over the edge. The King then rushed over to the edge looking into the great man made pit, trying to see if Drake was alive or dead. "Is he dead" Saker asked walking over to the Hero King. "I'm not sure, I can't... wow" he spluttered as a massive hand grasped his left leg trying to yank it and him over the edge, the King looked down seeing Drake clinging on for deer life, instinctively the King slashed at Drakes massive thick arm severing it causing him to fall. But as he did he heard Drakes fait voice as he fell, seeing also his arm regrow almost instantly as he fell. "F**K you your majesty, i'm comming back for ya" the voice came, then it went quiet and then a thud and a small fait "Ow". The King then stumbled over to the nearest seat high rock and sat down, Saker rushing over to him. "Your Majesty are you alright" he asked with an edge of fear in his voice. "Yeah i'm fine, just thinking about what he said, those men are dead because of me, I got them killed" the King coughed. "He's dead now, his words mean nothing now" Saker pleaded. "No what he said is true, without my powers I'm nothing, Drake may have killed your men but I lead them I am alone resposible, I could have saved them" The King stated almost crying. "Sir what he said was rubbish and you know that, he's dead". "No Drakes alive I can feel it, you saw he can just grow back, he can't be killed like me or you" "Sir" Saker shouted sternly, "you will stop this now, yes you could have saved them, but don't dwell on the past, look forward to the furture sir and save who you can from what is to come not mourn those who are lost to us, we must save all we can... your majesty" he added respectfuly. "Thanks Saker" the King added. "Sir even if you weren't a Hero I would follow you" Saker stated. "Why" The Hero of Brightwall asked. "Because your a good man" the old Colonel stated smiling at his King. The Hero of Bowerstone looked up and as he did the storm clouds broke apart finnay and the snow and wind stopped, leaving a bright ray of sun shine decorating the moutian to, making the snow glisten in it's rays.